The New Rebellion

As recorded by J.D. Bentley

December 22nd, 2017

We are born into order–an order that does not depend on us. We aren’t given the luxury of choosing the nature of this world or the nature of ourselves or the attributes of others. We aren’t asked what our preferred family, or social status, or circumstances, or location might be.

It could be said that, in some sense, we are born into slavery. The conditions are established and certain requirements are demanded of us whether we like it or not. And if those requirements are met or not met, we can expect a just judgement. The only question we are asked, the only thing we get to decide, is this:

Do we play the game?

That is to say, do we accept the cosmic order and take our proper place in the universe or do we fight against it? There’s no third option. Do we choose to be the Archangels of heaven, or Lucifer and his band of demons?

This is a choice between masters, because we will have a master whether we like it or not. That master will be God, the Divine, the Logos, on the one hand. Or that master will be one of countless frivolous idols, commonly called sins or vices, on the other, which are the cheapest possible imitations of the Logos.

Chesterton wrote that there is no revolution that is not a restoration, and that is especially true today. Lucifer’s rebellion was to turn away from heaven. And in this world, our rebellion is to turn toward it.

Being a victim is easy. Nihilism is easy. Blaming others is easy. Looking for "systemic" causes of this-or-that is easy. Apathy is easy. Ignoring human nature is easy. Rejecting the natural order is easy. Being outraged is easy. Calling for others to change is easy.

Changing yourself is hard. Accepting personal responsibility is hard.

There is nothing more rebellious now than a man who knows his place, plays his role, and accepts that everything that happens is allowed to happen for his betterment, as a means to his theosis. It is an opportunity, always, to overcome his fallen nature.

There is no circumstance, no suffering, no work that is beneath us if our primary concern playing the part we were meant to play while maximizing our goodness and the goodness of our actions.